“I think the best thing I did after my divorce,” Chantel says, “is expand my friend group. I had dwindled down to just two besties while I was married. They were married too, had kids the same age, husbands who worked a lot. After the divorce, I felt alone and out of place. Until I found this um…” Her lips twist as her gaze darts to an upper corner. “Supportgroup of sorts. The big group—I’m talking, all of Virginia Beach—gets together once a month. Our smaller, more local group, has weekly meetups.”
Already, I’m leery. “Is it arealsupport group? Like specialists are there and everything.”
She gives me a sheepish grin. “Okay, so it’s for singles. Forty-something singles, more specifically.”
I groan. “Sounds terrible. What are there—a whopping ten of us in town?”
“No, even in the smaller one, there are like, a few dozen regulars. If you come, I can introduce you to some good ones.”
I already know I’m not going to, but just for the heck of it, I ask, “Where’s it at?”
“We pick new places each month: restaurants, rec centers, the beach.” She points toward the refurbished floors and nods. “But this time, the Coffee Loft’s newest and greatest addition gets the honor.”
Maggie didn’t mention this, which means she was hoping to spring it on me. She’s sneaky like that.
“You going to come?” Chantel asks, her dark-lined eyes locking on mine.
“I don’t see me doing that, no.”
She glowers at me. “You’re no fun.” But then something flashes through her eyes, that stark blue growing brighter as her dimple shows. “The Wheaton brothers usually come.”
My cheeks flush with heat. I set the mug down and pretend that that detail didn’t just send anxious spasms throughout my entire bloodstream. Jack told me about a new term recently,FOMO—which stands for the fear of missing out.
He said it was a real thing, but I argued that point. Only now, just picturing Beau Wheaton at some singles meetup, looking to fill the void in his life, my fear of missing out is concrete-heavy and undeniably real.
“You said thebrothersgo,” I say, catching onto her terminology. “Which ones?”
“The twins,” Chantel says easily. “They’re both divorced. And though Braxton’s in his thirties, he’s come to a few of them as well. Guess he wouldn’t mind scoring himself a cougar.” She makes a claw and slashes through the air.
I hate how disappointed I am that she didn’t mention Beau. Has he already found someone else? The two of us barely make it beyond small talk when we bump into each other. Prior to our divorces, there was more to discuss. Stuff about the proceedings, how things were coming along. But now…now I catch myself thinking about him. Wondering about him. Missing him now that our contact has dwindled.
“Beau never goes?” I ask as a moment of bravery sweeps in. Who cares if I give myself away?
“He hasn’t come yet,” Chantel says, “but his brothers say they’re working on him.”
Hmm. If they’re working on him, he must not be serious with anyone yet.
“Come on, just come. Expand your friend group.”
My insides turn electric as I consider. I don’t want to go if Beau won’t be there. But if he starts going…“Maybe one day I will,” I say.
“Yeah, but if you comethistime, you’ll be supporting Maggie’s new venture.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “You know what, you’re right.”
“I am?” She looks genuinely surprised.
“Yes,” I say after taking a sip of my heavenly drink. “I think you just might be the devil herself.”
CHAPTER16
Beau
“What does it say about us that we’re all divorced or single?” my brother Luke asks as we head to some Forties meetup at the Coffee Loft.
Luke’s twin, Liam answers. “It says women suck.”
“Or thatwesuck,” Luke says.
